Automatic truck-controlled train-stop.



2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. E. GLENN.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK CONTROLLED TRAIN STOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. I9l6.

Eatented Jam. 23, 191?.

WITNESSES:

m-u'rmz. WASNINGMI',

L. E. GLENN.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK CONTROLLED TRAIN STOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28.1916.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

,4 TTOR/VEYS WI T/VESSES:

LELAND ELLSWORTH GLENN, F GREENSBORO, NCRTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK-CONTROLLED TRAIN-STOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 191%.

Application filed April 28, 1916. Serial No. 94,179.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LELAND E. GLENN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Truck-Controlled Train-Stops, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to train stops controlled by the trucks of the several cars thereof, and more particularly to means for applying the brakes in the event of greater than normal relative movement of any one of the trucks of the train with respect to the car bodies to which the trucks are attached.

in carrying out my invention, 1 provide means positively acting upon the conductors emergency valves for moving the valves to vent the train pipe in case of greater than normal movements of the trucks of the train, said means allowing for normal movements of the trucks without actuation and being located adjacent each of the trucks so that abnormal movements of any one of the trucks, as, for instance, in case of derailment, will stop the train and avoid as nearly as possible wrecks from these causes. The means employed for this purpose and as hereinafter described, are shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein Figure l is a side view, more or less diagrammatic, illustrating my improvements in operative position. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of the actuating apparatus, with the cover removed. Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof. Fi 5 is a cross section taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the controlling lever.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Fig. 1, I have indicated in a more or less diagrammatic manner, the laterally projecting arm 10 of one of the conductors emergency valves 11, which upon being raised, as well known, opens the valve 11 and vents the train line through the pipe 12, my improvements proposing for this purpose a mechanical connection in the nature of a cable 13 leading upwardly through the base of the car 14 with its upper end depending over a roller 15 and attached to the end of the valve arm 10, the lower end of the cable 13 being secured to a winding drum 1.6, rigid. with a shaft 1?, the latter of which is journaled through bearings in a casing 18, open at one side and having a detachable cover 19. One end of the shaft 17 projects beyond the adjacent end of the casing 18 and is provided with a squared extension 20 for the reception of a suitable tool by which the shaft may be turned to put tension upon a spring :21 of suitable type, encircling the shaft and one end of which spring is secured to the shaft, the other end being secured to the casing. At its opposite end, shaft 17 carries a rigid notched head 22, into the notches of which a dog or lu 23 is engageable, to lock the shaft against rotation, said dog or lug being secured to a controlling lever 24 intermediate the ends thereof, and said lever being pivotally mounted at 25 at one end upon an extension 26 of the casing 18 and being engaged at a point between the pivot 25 and the dog or lug 23 by a spring 27 compressed between the same and the said extension 26 of the casing, so as to force the lever outwardly and away from the notched head 22, into engagement with which it is normally held by a controlling arm 28.

At a point beyond the dog or lug 23, lever 24 is provided with an extension 29 having a concavity in its end and in engagement with which the rounded inner end 30 of arm 28 is normally disposed to hold lever 24 in the normal position shown in Fig. 4. Controlling arm 28 has an intermediate universally movable pivot in connection with one end of the casing 18, formed by a socket member 31 carried by the arm intermediate its ends, and engaging a ball 32 secured to the adjacent end of the casing 18, as best seen in Fig. 4, so that angular movement of the outer end of the arm 28 in any direction, serves to disengage its inner end from the extension 29 of lever 24, releasing the latter and consequently permitting spring 27 to act to disengage the dog or lug 23 from the notched head 22, thus freeing shaft 1'? for rotation under the tension of its spring 21 so as to rotate the drum 16 and wind the flexible connection 13 thereon to open the conductors emergency valve 11.

At a point bevond its intermediate universally movable fulcrum, the controlling arm 28 is provided with an angular V-shaped bend 33 and has its extremity 34 also bent angularly, leaving a straight portion 35 between the angular bends 33 and 34 just mentioned, thus providing for the reception of a ring 36 between the angular portions, adapted to move the outer ends of the controlling arm 28 for the purpose before described, when the ring is moved either laterally against the portion 35 of the arm or longitudinally of the arm against either of the angular portions 33 and 34: thereof, it being understood that the ring 36 is of a diameter permitting of its lateral play within the limits in which a truck is normally movable in turning and moving under jolts and jars with respect to the car body to which it is attached.

The ring 36 is rigid with one end of a bracket 37, the opposite angular end 38 of which is securely fastened to a portion of a car truck 39, so that the ring 36 thus follows the movements of the truck, the casing 18, with the controlling arm 28 and its parts, being attached as shown in Fig. 1 to the under side of the car body and at one side of the truck 39. Thus, upon abnormal movements of the truck 39 with respect to the car body, such as in case of either partial or full derailment thereof, the ring 36 will be moved either laterally against the straight portion 35 of the controlling arm 28, or against the angular portions 33 and 34 thereof, to move the arm upon its universal fulcrum and release the automatically actuated valve controlling connection before described, to secure application of the brakes and stop the train and in this manner avoid, so far as possible, derailment of the train and wrench thereof, through derailment of a single truck, which may as trains are now equipped, happen without notice to the conductor, engineer, or other trainmen.

In order that ordinary and usual move ments of the car body with respect to the truck and against the tension of the truck springs, may be allowed for, the bracket 37 before referred to, is preferably in two sections, as clearly seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, these sections being attached to one another by a universal connection in the nature of a ball joint 37?, and that section nearest the ring 36 being intermediately supported in the lower eye 4:0 of a hanger 41 attached to the under side of the car body, an eye 40 forming a fulcrum upon which the adjacent section of the bracket 37 may work to operate the parts as previously described and at the same time provide for the normal desired relative movement between the car body and the truck as just mentioned.

1. In an automatic train stop of the character described, the combination with a conductors emergency valve, of a flexible connection secured at one end thereto, a winding drum to which the other end of said connection is secured, a shaft upon which said drum is fast, a casing in which said shaft .is

journaled, a spring coiled about the shaft and secured at one end thereto and at its opposite end to the casing, said shaft having one end thereof extended beyond the casing and'squared for the reception of a turning implement, a notched head secured to the opposite end of the shaft within the casing, a lever pivoted at one end to a part of the casing and having a dog-rigid therewith and movable to engage the notched head, a spring normally acting upon the said lever to force the same away from the notched head to released position, said lever having an extension provided with a concaved end, a controlling arm having its inner end rounded for engagement within the concaved end of the said extension to normally hold the lever in engagement with the notched head and against the tension of its spring, said controlling arm having an intermediate universally movable fulcrum in connection with the casing and having spaced angularly bent portions adjacent its outer end, a ring encircling the outer portion of the said controlling arm and disposed between the angular'portions of the said arm, and a truck carried bracket supporting the said ring for the purpose described.

2. In an automatic train stop of the character described, a car carried actuating mechanism including the combination with a conductors emergency valve, of a flexible connection secured at one end thereto, a winding drum to which the other end of said connection is secured, a shaft upon which said drum is fast, a casing in which said shaft is journaled, a spring coiled about the shaft and secured at one end thereto and at its opposite end to the casing, said shaft having one end thereof extended beyond the casing and squared for the reception of a turning implement, a notched head secured to the opposite end of the shaft within the casing, a lever pivoted at one end to a part of the casing and having a dog rigid therewith and movable to engage the notched head, a spring normally acting upon the said lever to force the same away from the notched head to released position, said lever having an extension provided with aconcaved end, a controlling arm having its inner end rounded for engagement within the concaved end of the said extension to normally hold the lever in engagement with the notched head and against the tension of its spring, said controlling arm having an intermediate universally movable fulcrum in connection with the casing and also having angularly bent portions adjacent its outer end with a straight portion between the said angularly bent portions, a ring encircling the said straight portion between the angularly bent portions whereby moveengagement of the same with the controlling arm, and a truck carried bracket supporting said ring for the purpose described.

8. In an automatic train stop of the character described, the combination with a conductors emergency valve, of a flexible connection attached to the same, a spring actuated winding drum to which the opposite end of said connection is secured, a lever normally controlling movement of the drum, a spring for releasing the lever from the drum, a controlling arm normally engaging the lever and having an intermediate universally movable fulcrum, and provided adjacent its outer end with spaced angularly bent portions, and a truck carried ring encircling the outer portion of the said controlling arm and disposed thereon between the angular-1y bent portions of the arm, for the purpose described.

4. In an automatic train stop of the character described, the combination with a conductors emergency valve, of a flexible connection attached to the same, a spring actuated Winding drum to which the opposite end of said connection is secured, a lever normally controlling movement of the drum, a spring for releasing the lever from the drum, a casing in connection with which said drum and its parts and said lever are mounted, a controlling arm having an intermediate ball and socket connection with a portion of the frame and having its inner end normally engaging the lever to hold the latter in connection With the winding drum,

said controlling arm having spaced angularly bent portions adjacent its outer end, and a truck carried ring encircling the outer portion of the controlling arm between the angular portions thereof.

5. In an automatic train stop of the character described, emergency valve actuating means, means for holding the first named means normally inactive, including a spring actuated lever having a projection provided with a concaved end, and a controlling arm having a universally movable intermediate fulcrum and having a rounded inner end normally seated in the concaved end of the said projection, said arm being provided with spaced angularly bent portions adjacent its outer end, and a truck carried ring encircling the outer portion of the said controlling arm and disposed between the angularly bent portions thereof, all for the purpose described.

6. In an automatic train stop of the character described, the combination with the valve actuated mechanism, of a truck carried operating member including a bracket having a ring at one end and an angular portion at its opposite end, the latter secured to a truck, said bracket being in sections and having a universally movable connection between said sections, and a hanger depending from the car body and supporting, and forming an intermediate fulcrum for, that section of the bracket remote from the truck and carrying the said ring.

LELAND ELLSVVORTH GLENN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1'). G. 

